Life In The Fast Lane

*The title of this post was taken from the Eagles song of the same name*

It would be quite a world if we all had access to local, organic, free-range, all natural, humanely raised and practical foods. Thankfully, as the demand for these items has gone up, the cost of them has generally come down.

However, that isn’t exactly the world we live in. Sometimes we have to succumb to convenience. And sometimes, convenience leads us to the drive -thru of those establishments who carry anything but local, organic, free-range, all natural, humanely raised foods. Hell, at least they’re practical (one out of six ain’t bad!)

If I’m being honest (and I try my very best to be), sometimes it just comes down to budget and in many ways, the convenient can be the most cost effective…just not always.

So, this is my attempt at helping you survive the fast food lane. I asked the members of our client-only closed community on Facebook to help me tally up their favorite fast food establishments. I’ll be tallying up the breakfast and lunch/dinner options that will help you reach your weight loss goals, regardless of whether you are male or female.

There are a few things to note before you dive into this. Due to the nature of fast food, these generally won’t be the best ratios for a proper macronutrient balance. So, if you are focusing on optimizing body composition or if you’re training for endurance events, this is probably not the menu for you. Also, note that the sodium counts will be higher than what the average individual needs. It would serve you best to keep your water intake high any time you eat fast food or even at your run of the mill restaurant. In addition, fast food is terribly low in fiber. You might want to consider a fiber supplement to continue to eliminate waste as needed.

I’ll also be working within some general ranges. For women, somewhere between 1200-1500 calories. For men, somewhere between 1500-1800 calories. If you are not certain where you fall within the range, start on the high end and assess your weight loss progress. If you are not losing, you can make gradual drops of 100 or so calories to see the changes you’re looking for.

I should also note that this is not by any means meant to replace healthier options if you have access to them. I personally would not spend much time with fast food. However, if you’re travelling, short on time, or just didn’t plan your day appropriately. These options could really help you stay on track. Please also be aware, there are no french fries mentioned in this list. This will simply be for entrees. I made every effort to keep every choice roughly 500 calories (maybe less, maybe more.) I also made every effort to keep protein at least 20g per meal.

Some menu options may be seasonal or temporary depending on the establishment.